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Chapter 491 112.1 - Don\'t see him within me

"You\'ve done it. You\'ve mastered the [Cyclone Stance]. I never thought I\'d say this, but you\'re on par with me now—at least when it comes to the [Tempest Fang]. But don\'t think this is the end."

I wiped the sweat from my brow, my chest heaving as I tried to steady my breathing. The sting of fatigue was present, but there was also a sense of accomplishment coursing through me. Dakota\'s words rang in my ears—words I\'d been striving to hear for weeks now.

But I knew better than to let my guard down, even after such praise.

"I know this isn\'t the end," I said. "This is just the beginning. There\'s still so much more to learn, to master."

After all, while I had mastered the [Tempest Fang], it was most likely the beginning stages of an art. Or at least, the art was not of a higher grade.

That was to be expected. After all, if not, it would not be easy to master such an art in just three weeks.

"You brat…..Don\'t be serious all the time."

SWOOSH! Her hand approached me at a rapid speed, trying to slap me from my back. But there was no way I would let her hit me like this.

\'It hurts like hell.\'

Since it hurt.

Dakota grinned as she watched me dodge her attempted slap. "You\'re getting quicker," she said with a smirk. "But don\'t get too cocky. I\'ll let it slide for today since you\'ve graduated for the time being."

I gave a small nod, still catching my breath. Despite the exhaustion, there was a sense of satisfaction in knowing I had reached this milestone.

Dakota glanced at her watch, noting the time. "It\'s 7:24 A.M.," she said thoughtfully. "We\'ve been at it for hours. I think it\'s time to rest a little."

I raised an eyebrow. "Rest?"

She chuckled. "You\'ve earned it. How about we hit the baths? You could use a good soak after all that training."

I blinked, slightly taken aback. "Bath?"

"Indeed," Dakota confirmed with a grin. "There\'s a specialized bath for Wardens. It\'s designed for comfort. Consider it a reward."

Dakota was a warden, so it made sense that she would be awarded specifically for her achievements and her contributions.

It seems a special bath was one of those.

"You do know, you are basically inviting me to your home, right?"

"I do. But so what?"

"Is there a problem?" Dakota asked, her expression genuinely puzzled.

I studied her face and body language, realizing she truly didn\'t have a clue about the implications of her words. There was no teasing or ulterior motive behind her invitation—it was just a straightforward offer from someone who didn\'t overthink such things.

I inwardly sighed, wondering if Dakota was really this much of a blockhead because she hadn\'t socialized much or if she hadn\'t socialized much because she was a blockhead. The answer seemed nearly impossible to find.

Shaking my head, I decided not to dwell on it. "No problem," I said, somehow feeling like my lips were twitching. "Let\'s go."

Dakota nodded, satisfied with my response, and continued leading the way. As we walked, I couldn\'t help but think about how someone as strong and skilled as her could also be so oblivious at times. It was oddly endearing in its own way.

Dakota led me to her quarters, and as we stepped inside, it was immediately clear that her living space was a far cry from the trainee rooms. While not excessively luxurious, it was certainly more spacious and refined. The furniture was sleek, the decor minimalist yet stylish, and the overall atmosphere was one of quiet strength—a reflection of Dakota herself.

"Welcome to my place," she said casually, as if inviting people over was a regular occurrence for her. Somehow, I doubted that.

I took a moment to look around. The room had a different dimension, yet it was cool in its simplicity. It was clear that Dakota valued functionality over extravagance, but there was still a certain elegance to it.

"This is where you live?" I asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

"Yep," she replied, walking over to a sleek console. "It\'s not much, but it\'s comfortable. Here, let me show you around."

She gave me a quick tour, pointing out the various rooms and features. The place was well-equipped, with everything she needed for both work and relaxation. It had an air of professionalism mixed with a hint of personal taste, though I could tell that Dakota hadn\'t spent too much time fussing over the details.

After the tour, she led me to the bath area. It was larger and more elaborate than I expected, with a calming ambiance created by soft lighting and the gentle sound of flowing water. The bath itself was a spacious, sunken pool filled with clear, inviting water that seemed to shimmer slightly with a faint energy.

"Make yourself comfortable," Dakota said as she accessed a panel on the wall. "I\'ll order some food. You\'ve earned it."

I watched as she tapped a few commands into the panel, using her credits to order what I assumed were special dishes. It was strange seeing her in this domestic setting, but I couldn\'t deny the appeal of a good meal and a relaxing bath after our intense training.

Once she finished placing the order, she turned back to me with a grin. "You ready?"

Before I could answer, she stepped into the bath, her clothes shimmering and retracting into a bracelet on her wrist. I followed suit, my own clothes following the same transformation as I entered the warm water.

Despite the practical nature of our attire, it was still a bit surreal to be sharing a bath with Dakota. The water was soothing, and I could feel the tension in my muscles starting to ease. It was a rare moment of calm, something I hadn\'t experienced in a while.

Dakota settled into the water, leaning back against the edge with a contented sigh. "This is the life," she said, closing her eyes. "Training hard, then relaxing like this. Can\'t ask for much more."

I couldn\'t help but agree. "It\'s definitely a nice change of pace."

She opened one eye, looking at me with a smirk. "So, what do you think? Not bad, right?"

"Not bad at all," I admitted, feeling the warmth of the water seep into my bones. "Thanks for inviting me."

She waved off my thanks as if it was no big deal. "You\'ve earned it, Astron. Plus, it\'s nice to have some company for once."

"You seem lonely when you speak like that."

Dakota chuckled softly at my remark, her eyes reflecting a hint of wistfulness. "You\'re not wrong. It has been a while since I\'ve had company like this. Missions are different, you know? Everything is professional and focused. You\'re surrounded by people, but it\'s not the same as having someone you can just… relax with."

I tilted my head slightly, considering her words. "Someone like me? Don\'t you go on missions with other teams? I figured you\'d have plenty of opportunities to connect with others."

She nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I do, but it\'s not the same. When I\'m on a mission, it\'s all about the objective. The units change frequently, and everyone\'s focused on the job. There\'s no time for anything personal. But here…" She gestured to the bath and the cozy setting of her quarters. "Here, it\'s different. We\'ve been training together every morning for three weeks. It\'s not just about the mission; it\'s about growth, about pushing each other to be better."

I understood what she meant. The intensity of our training sessions had created a bond, a sense of camaraderie that was hard to find in the impersonal environment of missions.

"So, you\'re saying I should prepare myself for that when I start going on missions?"

She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Yeah. Missions are tough. You\'ll work with people you might never see again. You\'ll be in high-stress situations where you can\'t afford to let your guard down. It\'s not like this, where you have the time to build connections."

The idea of constantly changing teams and the lack of stability wasn\'t entirely surprising, but hearing it from Dakota made it feel more real. "Sounds like a lonely life."

"It can be," she admitted, her voice softer now. "But it\'s also necessary. We do what we have to do to keep the world safe. But when you do find those rare moments of connection like this, you learn to appreciate them."

I leaned back in the water, letting her words sink in.

\'There are people with all those different goals in life….\' Somehow, looking at her like that, I once again was reminded of my reasons. With all this constant training I had over these past three weeks, I had forgotten about it a little.

At least, it was safe to say that I was able to get rid of my thoughts.

I had lived all my life for the sake of revenge, at least up to this point. But, recently, I was feeling a little different…

It was hard to put into words. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Do you miss it? Having more consistent connections, I mean?" I asked, curious about how she truly felt.

Dakota was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the ceiling as if searching for the right words. "Sometimes," she said finally. "But I made my choice a long time ago. I chose to dedicate myself to this life, to this cause. And I don\'t regret it. But yeah, there are times when I miss the simplicity of just… being with people. Not as comrades or teammates but as friends."

Her eyes somehow contained a sadness as she looked into my eyes. And then, she suddenly stood up, spilling the water around the bath.

As Dakota stood up from the water, her movements slow and deliberate, I could see the water glistening on her skin, highlighting the defined muscles earned from years of intense training. There was something in her gaze, something ignited—a mix of desire, longing, and perhaps a trace of something deeper, something unresolved.

I\'d seen that look before. It wasn\'t unfamiliar to me. It was the gaze of someone searching for something they\'d lost, something they were trying to find in another person.

Dakota stepped closer, the distance between us shrinking. Her bracelet should have activated, covering her body as it had done before, but it didn\'t. It was as if she was doing it on purpose, letting her guard down in a way I hadn\'t expected.

The naked body was laid bare right before me as if to tempt me. It was, indeed, tempting as her body was sculpted by an artist.

At least, that would be for a normal person.

Her approach was slow, almost hesitant, as if testing the waters—both literally and figuratively. Her eyes, though intense, carried a sadness, a desire for connection, for something more than the life she had chosen.

But as she neared me, something inside me told me to stop her, not out of discomfort or fear but because I could see the truth in her eyes. This wasn\'t about me; it was about someone else, someone she was trying to find in me.

"Stop," I said.

She paused, her eyes widening slightly as if surprised by my words.

I didn\'t let my gaze waver, keeping my eyes locked on hers, refusing to let them drift to her exposed form.

"I don\'t know who that person is," I continued, my tone steady. "But you should stop seeing him in me. You should let it go."

Those words were for both her and me.

\'I should stop seeing her in other people as well.\'